Shunned Parcel-Tongue
by Rellik 01011993
Summary: When everyone finds out that Harry can speak to snakes, it isn't accepted quite as well as it should be. Forced to accept the company of new people, Harry's life is about to change. Reviews always welcome.


Harry watched on in confusion. His friends were turning against him, and all because of one tiny little chat with a snake. They had stood by him through far worse things; things he had _known_ were odd. How could this be the thing to break them all apart? Shoulders sagging, he walked away from the gathering crowd; he was alone again with no one to care about him.

He was shocked to hear hurried footsteps trying to catch up with him a moment later and even more shocked when he heard the person speak.

"Potter, wait for a moment, would you?" Draco asked, out of breath. Malfoy never had to run, so never did. Harry was well accustomed to escaping Uncle Vernon by now and although he still looked like a scrawny, underfed weakling, he _could_ run.

Harry didn't slow his pace or turn to look at Draco. He had just lost the only people in the world who ever seemed to care about him; he was _not_ in the mood for Draco Malfoy. Such a little thing to turn them against him, he knew he would not be able to take Draco's teasing lightly. Especially not when he didn't understand the whole situation.

Draco caught his wrist and dragged him to a stop. "Harry, I'm not following you to hassle you, I _swear_." The blond boy noticed the uncertainty. "I can't believe they turned their backs on you just because you're a parsel-tongue. It's not like you can _choose_ that. I know you don't understand, and that Ron normally explains that stuff to you, so I thought you might want someone to explain it to you…" Draco offered uncertainly.

They had been enemies for years because Harry had hurt his ego, but Draco had long been looking for some way to change that, any way to settle old hurts and start a friendship. Not because Harry was famous or seemed to be a favourite of the teachers, but because of who he was as a person.

Harry stared at him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to trust him. When he realised he had no choice, no one else was rushing to explain or even stand near him, he nodded acceptance. "Alright, thank you Draco. But if you turn this into some kind of prank I should warn you that I am more than likely to break your nose. I'm not in the mood, alright?"

Draco blinked in shock. Sure they were always fighting each other, but that was what they were all about. "You're not upset about those two turning their backs on you, are you? I know they're your main friends, but surely you have others? Some at home too…"

Before he could stop himself, Harry was laughing while Draco watched in confusion. "Friends? You think I have _friends_? Other than Ron and Hermione, everyone has always just seen _The Boy Who Lived_. Never Harry Potter, the boy who lives in the cupboard under the stairs. And as for the muggle world, it's hard to make friends when you're locked in the house…or under the stairs whenever you're not doing housework." Harry shook his head. "Friends, ha."

Draco stared in horror. He had never considered that Harry's life, though well discussed, might not be well known. Now that he thought about it, no one ever seemed to talk about _Harry_ , they only even talked about _The Boy Who Lived_. They talked about what he did when he was a baby, and what he could accomplish, but they never talked about his _life_. He had practically saved their world, how could people be so inconsiderate of him?

"Why…" Harry started to walk again, but slowly enough that Draco was obviously welcome to follow. "Why do you get locked under the stairs?" he could tell by the way Harry had said it that it wasn't something that he normally discussed with _anyone_ , but he seemed more willing to talk now.

Harry didn't answer for several minutes, just stared at his shoes. When he finally decided to speak, he decided to hold nothing back. "Because that's my room; the cupboard under the stairs with the bolt on the outside. Because my aunt and uncle hate me because I am the child of my parents. My parents who I thought died in a car crash until Hagrid showed up to forcibly take me to Hogwarts my first year because my uncle was refusing to let me go."

He didn't seem to remember that Draco was walking beside him. Harry continued to stare at his shoes as he walked and mumble about his life. "Other than my uniform, I don't have any of my own clothes. Just my fat cousin's old clothes that are far too large. I have an owl that can't fly during holidays because she's not allowed out of her cage in case I send notes to _those filthy wizard friends of mine_. Other than the things bought for school I don't have _anything_ that is just mine. Everything was Dudley's at one point."

Draco stopped in his tracks, staring after the most famous person in the wizarding world. "And your friends haven't thought to buy you a present?" he asked quietly when he caught back up.

Harry shook his head. "What would be the point of buying me anything that isn't for school when Uncle Vernon would just break it as soon as I went home on break? And there's no point buying me things for school because I apparently have enough money to last me a lifetime if I'm reasonably careful with it."

Draco swore under his breath. "Why didn't you tell anyone about it? I'm sure Dumbledore would have done something had he known…" Draco's face paled when Harry smiled and shook his head.

"Who do you think left me on their doorstep when I was a baby? He said I needed to be raised outside the wizarding world so the whole _boy who lived_ thing didn't go to my head. I think he was right too. The Dersley's are the only family I have." Harry shook his head. "Weren't you going to explain about the parsel-tongue thing?"

x x x

Ron found Harry and Draco in a room near the Gryffindor common room. "Harry? What the bloody hell are you doing with Malfoy?" he asked angrily, glaring at the Slytherin.

Draco watched in shock as Harry slowly got to his feet. He could feel the anger and power rolling off Harry in waves. "Learning about parsel-tongues…" he held up a history book. "What are _you_ doing here Ron?" Harry crossed his arms, staring at the redhead.

Ron shuffled from foot to foot. "I came to find you after…" he visibly gulped and Draco glanced at Harry to check if he had seen. According to the eyebrows pulling down in a frown, he had seen that slight motion of guilt.

Harry nodded. "As soon as the crowd disappeared and no one would know you were associating with a _parsel-tongue_." Harry stared at him and Draco could see the hurt in the depths of his eyes. "The things we've done, the rules we've broken, I always thought our friendship was stronger than that. But this made me realise. As long as no one knew we were breaking rules, or as long as we were being _brave_ , you were content."

When Ron took a step forward Harry stepped back. "I should have let the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin." Harry mumbled to himself.

Ron's face paled. "What? Harry _what_ did you say?"

Harry sneered at his friend. "The Sorting Hat was deciding between Gryffindor or Slytherin. I _chose_ Gryffindor, _begged_ for Gryffindor. Given the loyalty I've seen today, I should have let it be." When Ron only continued to stare, Harry turned back to Draco and sat back down on the floor beside him.

After Ron left, Draco turned to look at Harry. "When did you first know? That you could talk to snakes?" given that Harry hadn't mentioned it, it must have been around for a while. Draco hated to think of a young Harry's first experience, before he had even known about wizards.

Harry shrugged. "My cousin's birthday, a few months before Hagrid showed up for me. Dudley wanted to go to the zoo, so of course we went. I can't even remember why they didn't just lock me in the cupboard like they usually did. Anyway, there was this _huge_ python in a glass display. I talked to it and…it talked back. Then of course the glass disappeared and then reappeared, trapping Dudley in the enclosure."

Draco could see the remembered panic and fear. "What happened after that?" he put a hand on Harry's shoulder, hoping it would come across as comforting.

Harry startled but didn't shake off the touch, not even Ron and Hermione touched him in such a way. A pat on the back or a hug in exciting moments, sure, but never just a reassuring hand on his shoulder while he thought about unpleasant things. "Once they got him out we went straight home. I got locked in the cupboard."

Draco frowned. "But they couldn't possibly have known it was you! _You_ didn't know it was you!" he objected hotly.

Harry smiled at him. "Anything weird got blamed on me. See, they knew about my parents. Knew about magic. And they knew I would have magic as well. They never explained why I got punished for impossible things, but their hatred of me grew each time strange things happened."

"Why doesn't everyone know about this? You're a _person_! If people knew, someone could have taken you away from that place years ago! Why didn't you tell anyone?" He was trying his best to understanding, but he couldn't think of a single reason for Harry to have kept all of this to himself.

It took a moment for Harry to find the words; he had never had to explain before. "People are scared to say Voldemort's name because they think he will come back again. That's why they love me so much; because they think I can beat him again, even though I did _nothing_ the first time. It was my mother's love that defeated him, nothing to do with me. Anyway, the point is, how safe would they feel if they found out how pathetic I truly am? If someone told them that _muggles_ can treat me like that, who will they have to stand guard against the Dark Lord?"

Draco clenched his teeth in anger. Harry had suffered more before his first birthday than most suffered in a lifetime, and the blows just kept on coming. When would someone stand up and defend _him_ , rather than everyone expecting him to stand up for a community that didn't even accept him. "Come and live with me."

Harry smiled sadly at his new friend. "Draco, I know you don't talk about it, but I know your parents were Death Eaters. If he does rise again, how much will they suffer for housing the one who apparently defeated him before?"

Draco shook his head. "I have my own house; you would be welcome if you want to stay with me Harry. Seriously. The only reason I ever…hated you was because I thought you were a spoiled brat. Much like people think I am."

Harry smiled at Draco, shocking the other boy. "I know, Draco. You only act like a prat when there's an audience… What if I promise to keep it in mind, in case it gets too much at home?" he could see the genuine worry in Draco's eyes and didn't like to unsettle him. This was more concern than he had seen in years.

Draco was starting to realise that Harry hadn't been throwing himself into dangerous situations for years to be a hero. He had just continued to live his life the way it always had been; surrounded by hatred and trying to keep it from happening to anyone else. He grudgingly accepted this life and saw no glory in his accomplishments whatsoever.

x x x

Harry's hair was tussled and he had dark circles around his eyes several days later when Draco saw him waiting for a class. He had lost weight and his clothes hung from his frame. When Draco made a beeline for him, Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't thought Draco would want to associate with him when there were others around.

"Harry? Are you alright? You look awful…" Draco asked softly, glancing up and down to take in Harry's full appearance.

Before Harry could answer, Professor Snape arrived and called them all into class. "I'll tell you after…" Harry mumbled as they followed the others into class.

Snape noticed when Harry sat peaceably next to Draco, and when Draco started offering help with the work. Those two getting along was something the Potions Master had never expected to see. When Harry's stomach started to rumble so loudly that Snape could no longer ignore it he turned to the boy.

"Is there a reason you see fit to disrupt my class with your hunger, Mister Potter?" Snape asked, without his usual venom. Now that he was paying attention, he could tell the young man had lost a considerable amount of weight recently.

"Sorry Professor, I didn't mean to disrupt." Harry was going to leave it at that, but could see that Snape actually wanted an answer. "I…haven't eaten for a few days, Professor. Kind of hard to eat when you have to sit with a House for meals, and the kitchen ladies lose their minds over _the boy who lived_." He answered, a smirk showing that he somehow found humour in his situation.

Draco tensed beside Harry, disgusted that his _friends_ were excluding him so much that he had to skip meals. "Malfoy, escort Potter to the kitchens. Make sure they keep their wits about them."

x x x

"They've been treating you so badly that you have to skip meals because of it?" Draco asked angrily. "Why didn't you tell someone?"

Harry grit his teeth. "Because I don't want to be known as the first person to be _kicked out_ of his House. And I don't want them getting in trouble for it. It's a choice they have the right to make, if I _tell on them_ the teachers will walk all over that right."

Draco stopped, catching Harry's wrist to stop him. "They're not bullying you; they've actually kicked you out of Gryffindor? They're decision is effectively starving you to death and you don't want them to get in trouble?"

Harry shook his head. "It's alright Draco. I've got it sorted out now. It took me a day or two to find the Room of Requirement. It gave me a bed and a bathroom easily enough, but I've never needed food from it. That took some working out. I got it figured out just before classes this morning, so I didn't have time to eat."

Draco scowled at Harry. "But you deserve to sit in the Great Hall with the rest of us for meals! You've _done nothing wrong_ Harry. I've been looking into it, and there are laws against persecuting a person because of gifts such as parsel-tongue." He saw the panic rising in Harry's eyes; his complete unwillingness to hurt anyone for any reason. "Fine, we'll go to the kitchens. And then we're going to see Dumbledore. We'll get permission for you to sit at the Slytherin table."

x x x

Harry shuffled into the Great Hall that evening and made his way over to Draco. Before he could back out of the plan, Draco shoved one of his friends aside and indicated for Harry to sit. "You're fine, and you're safe." Draco muttered to him under his breath. "Now, dig in before you waste away completely." He passed a plate of rolls.

Harry glanced around, self-conscious of his red tie among green, and wondered that no one had noticed him. "I explained before we left for supper. They are all to keep their mouths shut if they can't be nice to you."

"Draco…that stuff you said about persecuting a parsel-tongue…is it highly illegal, or would I have to press charges for them to be in any trouble?" Harry asked quietly, pulling a roll apart and nibbling on it.

"If you don't actually eat a decent amount of food, I won't tell you anything else Harry…" Draco threatened, waiting for Harry to pick up a small pumpkin pie before he continued. "Shunning and other _little_ things like that you would need to press charges. If they started assaulting you or something, that is completely out of your hands. You can't protect them if it gets that bad Harry."

Harry turned to stare at his new, unexpected friend. "How did you…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

Draco smiled. "You don't like hurting people. Even people who hurt you. Whenever anyone gets in trouble for mistreatment of you it's because someone else stumbled on it; you never tell." He leant slightly closer to Harry so their shoulders bumped together. Harry didn't know how the slight moment of touch conveyed so much care that he almost fell apart. "Now, whenever you have to do anything with your House, you sit with the Slytherins, alright? I've talked to all of them and only a few are…discontent with the plan. I'll point those out to you through the day."

x x x

"Harry?" Draco called out, trying to see his friend in the large room. "Are you in here? Do I even have the right room?"

"Draco!" Harry called out from the back. "I'll be there in a minute. Don't come back here…I don't think the snakes like unescorted visitors…" Harry came running out from the back of the room in a pair of muggle track-pants, thick socks and nothing else. He blushed when he realised and turned to find a shirt. Draco's matching blush paled in an instant when he noticed the scars on the young wizard's back.

"Harry…" Draco traced a hand over a scar and Harry froze. "How did you get these?" he asked softly. When Harry remained in place, though tense, Draco started to trace the other scars.

"When you live with people who hate you for long enough…" Harry let his words trail off, he was sure Draco had picked up what he was saying. He didn't want to put words to what had happened to him in the past. Didn't want to think about it long enough to find the right words. It was all too painful, and Hogwarts was his sanctuary from that life. While at school he didn't think about the mistreatment he suffered at the hands of the Dursleys.

"You sounded excited about the snakes…did you want to introduce me?" Draco asked softly, understanding that Harry was uncomfortable talking about his back.

Harry tugged the shirt over his head and down to his hips and spun to stare at Draco with a grin. "So the Room provides you with everything you require…apparently I require some snakes to talk to… Come on." Without thinking, he took Draco's hand in his own and rushed to the back of the room.

x x x

"Harry? Josie said she asked you to the ball and you…declined…" Draco asked from the entrance to Harry's room. The Room of Requirement had apparently gotten sick of pulling a room out of thin air for Harry. It had created a whole new room right beside the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

Harry's ruffled hair appeared from behind a stack of books. "Ummm…that may have happened." Draco could hear the cringe in his voice. Before he could ask why, Harry continued. "So many people have told me that most people who go to the ball together end up married…I didn't want to give Josie the wrong impression. She's nice, and I like her but…she's not my type."

Draco felt his heart drop. Harry was doing better with the loss of his friends, but occasionally Draco caught him staring at the Gryffindors. "Granger?" he forced himself to ask.

Harry leant back further so that he could see his face, and his scowl. "Also not my type. In fact they both have something in common that is _really_ not my type…" He watched with a mixture of contentment and anxiety as his friend absorbed the information he was giving him.

Draco's eyes widened and he stormed over to where Harry sat on the floor. " _Not_ Weasley! Anyone but him!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "At least now you're onto the right gender…"the flare of jealousy made him a little more certain that it was right to tell Draco. "Ron was my friend, but never the type to catch my eye in _that_ way."

Draco flopped down onto a cushion beside Harry. It would have to be someone Harry knew well. He was all about knowing _people_ rather than images. He would never fall so low as to crush on someone he didn't know personally.

Several minutes after Harry had relaxed back into the book he was reading he was startled out of his contentment by a yell. "You have _got_ to be joking! No one crushes on a Malfoy, they _despise_ Malfoys." Draco stared in shock at his friend.

Harry smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "You're not despicable, how can I despise you?" when Draco didn't respond, Harry filled the silence. "It's ok if you're…not interested. I'm more than happy being you're friend. I mean…I wasn't expecting anything of you when I told you I just…thought you had a right to know."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Harry, will you shut up a minute? I didn't say I'm not interested, I was just…absorbing. Give a guy a chance to think, yeah? And you need to stop worrying about the rights of other people more than your own." Harry stared, wide eyed, in uncertainty and Draco realised that the young wizard could never see any positive attributes of himself because others were so often treating him badly.

The blond leant forward and brushed a gentle kiss across Harry's lips. "I would be honoured to be your date to the ball….even if that usually implies an impending marriage." He whispered darkly to Harry. "Now, do you have an actual suit, or shall I send for one? I promise if I send for one I'll get something that is…you."

Harry blushed. "I have a plain tuxedo…it's a muggle thing. I don't know what you'll think of it though…" Draco brushed another kiss, this time along Harry's jaw.

"How about you try it on, and I'll let you know." He smiled. "I'm assuming you aren't sure yourself, otherwise you would have just said you were organised…correct?" He didn't want to leave his assumptions unchecked; people had been walking over Harry for far too long, Draco refused to be the next person to do it.

Harry nodded, rising from the floor and cracking his back. Evidently he had been there for hours. "Do you mind…" he gestured to one of the snakes that had taken to following him around his room, she seemed to enjoy his company as much as the novelty of talking to a human.

Draco lifted her into his lap and let her coil around an arm. "Nashi and I get along well. You go and get changed; we'll be here waiting for the fashion show." The wink brought another blush to Harry's cheeks.

Draco was speechless. Harry was always rather frantic, and looked it, but in this muggle _tuxedo_ he looked absolutely stunning. Not to mention the white and black weaving in and out of the bowtie. A silent nod to them both, the blond and raven haired boys, a new couple.

"Harry…you had that tie before I agreed to go with you?" Draco asked, reaching out with a gentle finger to touch the silk.

"How did I know you would?" Harry guessed, receiving a nod. "I didn't. I was hopeful, but I didn't know. Whether you agreed or not was not… Our _friendship_ is important to me. I knew at the very least, you would not take that away. I will take whatever you are willing to give, but I have been ecstatic with being your friend."


End file.
